Messenger-call system for buildings



(No Model.)

H DENVER MESSENGER CALL SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS.

Patented Jan. 14, 1896.

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UNIVERSAL ELECTRIC lilESSENGER-CALL MAINE.

COMPANY, OF PORTLAND,

MESSENGER-CALL SYSTEM FOR BUILDINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 552,897, dated January 14, 1896. Applicatio filed June 24, 1898. Serial No.478,748,- (No model.)

To all 1072 0127 it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY DENVER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing in Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in a lllessenger-Call System for Buildings, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, and letters of reference marked thereon, in which drawing I ill ustrate in a single figure the construction and arrangement of my device.

' In detail, Ct indicates the supporting-board; b, a messenger-call box; (2, a dial-plate having figures marked thereon; (Z, a supplementary dial-plate; e, a pointer for the first-described dial-plate; f, removable covers or tabs for the second-described dial-plate; g, a pocket or receptacle for blanks; h, a similar pocket for cards and messages, and 2'- a desk.

My inventionhas for its object the arrangement for purposes of convenience of a callbox suitably connected in the usual way with the central oflice, located at some convenient position in the building for the use of all the occupants in the building or in a certain section of said building, to do away with the necessity of providing each room with a callbox, thus saving expense of a great number of boxes, with the wiring required for the same and expense of keeping the same in order, and avoiding also the great danger of fire resulting from a great number of wires, and doing away with the necessity of more than one lightning-arrester.

My invention consists in the arrangement, with the call-box conveniently located for two or more occupants, of one or more indicators which maybe set to indicate or point out the room from which the messenger-call was sent out.

The call-box and dials or indicators before referred to will be located, as stated, in a convenient place in the building, so that all may have ready access to it if they desire. I prefer that a suitable board a be provided, upon 'hich I mount the dials or other similar de vice or indicator, and upon which I also mount a call-box, and at the lower portion of the board I provide pockets for the purpose of holding blanks and also for the reception of cards or messages, and for further convenience I provide a suitable shelf or desk t with a pen and pencil rack arranged above the same.

The method of procedure with this device is as follows: If the occupant of any compartment wishes to calla messenger he goes to the call-box and rings up the central station in the common well-known manner and sets the pointer e upon the dial 0 to indicate the number of his room, leaving the same in that position. \Yhen the messenger arrives he glances at the indicator and calls at the room so indicated, returning the pointer to the zero mark. If, now, after the first call and before it has been responded to, a second or third party desires to send out a call, he, upon finding the pointer e away from the zero mark, removes the cover or tab f from the number corresponding with the number at which he finds the pointer. He then sets the pointer to indicate the number of his room or he leaves the pointer where it is and throws the tab off from his number, and upon the messenger arriving he calls at the rooms which are indicated by the numbers where the tabs are removed and as indicated by the pointer.

It will be seen that the pointer and the dial a may be done away with and that the dial or indicator (1 alone may be employed, the messenger in each instance moving the tab to cover the number after responding to the call.

If the service is required for delivering telegrams or messages the same may be deposited in the pocket or receptacle and will be taken by the messenger without calling at any room unless the indicator shows a number exposed or the pointer set at a room-number. It will be readily seen, therefore, that by such arrangement a single call-box will suffice for the convenience of all the occupants in the building and may be arranged with sufficient numbers to indicate the separate desks in each room, if desired.

It will be readily seen that different forms of indicators can be used in combination with a call-box and be within the scope of my invention, it simply being necessary that such indicator be capable of designating to the messenger the room or desk at Which his services are requred. For instance, a board provided With numbered openings or marked and removable pegs would serve as a crude but simple form of indicator. Various forms of indicators will readily suggest themselves to the mind of one familiar with this branch of mechanics.

Having therefore described my invention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A messenger-call system for buildings consisting of the combination With a call-box conveniently located with respect to a certain number of rooms, said call-box being electrically connected with the central station of an indicator located adjacent to said call-box and adapted to be set to indicate either of said rooms substantially as and-for the purposes described.

2. In a messenger-call system for buildings having a number of occupants the combination with a single call-b0x conveniently located with reference to two or more of said rooms and electrically connected with the central station, of an indicator located adjacent to said call-box, said indicator being provided with a dial having thereon a series of marks corresponding to those of said rooms and a movable pointer adapted to be moved to either of said marks and a second dial corresponding to those on the first dial, and covers arranged to be moved so as to disclose the numbers upon the second dial, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

3. The combination of a supporting board a with call-box I) mounted thereon and an indicator upon the same board said board being located in the building at a convenient position to be reached by the occupants of various rooms, said call-box being electrically connected with the central station, substantially as and for the purposes stated.

HENRY DENVER. Witnesses:

' ALLEN XVEBSTER, E. O. STIoKNEY. 

